Iron County register., 1887-10-20

babies. and on the only occasion on
which had braced MY heart to ask
her advice. had answered me through
the reigning infant: Tell her see
mutten be 'toopid and glum. my Toot-
sewootsee; see mutt 'tum and play wiz
90. my precious, muttent see?''
Heneeforward I fought my battle
alone. and subsided into the long
suffering placid Aunt Hannah, who
was supposed mot to mind'' the
dreary bits of employment which all
the others shirked.
just when had struck twenty-seven
my rich old godmother died. and to my
surprise, left me a handsome slice of
her fortune. coupling with it the COM
mand that should take her name in
place of my own. From Hannah Grey
became. therefore, straightway Han
nah Sinclair. With my new name I
furthermore asserted my independ-
ence. and set up for myself little
house in London. My dear old nurse
took the lead in my household, aud the
first night that I established myself by
my own freside and started as free
lone woman, I laid my head on her
knees and cried as if my heart would
break. Ailsie asked no questions. but
stroked my head in silence. Some
people are blessed with an instructive
sympathy and tact My dear old Ailsie
was one of them. We never once
alluded to that evening in all the long
years we spent together; but somehow
think she h ad grasped more than l
ever guessed
By degrees my little home became
the useful rendezvous of all the family.
My hall was many time filed with
forbidding looking females, all unsum-
moned by me, but ''come by appoint
ment to see Mrs. Grey about the
cooks place. num-" and presently a
cab would pull up with a jerk and
my sister-in-law would hustle in
dropping brown paper parcels from
her arm so sorry, dear. 1 had no
time to write, as baby's tooth bothered
him so, but I knew you wouldn't
mind" Hardly any of the undesir-
able e-looking women ever answered. so
the same ceremony was repeated many
time.
did not mind the women so much.
but the out-of-way men servants, /
own, were trial to me- Frenchmen.
Italians, Germans, Irishmen, all and
sundry They stood in rows. blocking
up my little hail. and had been sum-
moned by my niece Edith, to whom
her mother had in most cases thrown
the Morning Post and heap of half
penny cards, saying: Write to any
likely ones, and tell them to meet me
tomorrow. Aunt Hannah won't mind.
and baby wants me now."
That little trouble, however. was put
an end to in this wise. One of the
men turned out to have been a notori-
Gus burglar, and an attempt was made
on my house which failed. owing to
the prom ptitude with which Ailsie had
struck light in the basement, while
the footman locked himself securely in
the pantry.
3, Robert was very kind about this.
and peremptorily forbade any more
appointments of the kind being made
He would see ali men servants at his
own club in future.
So my life flowed evenly on for a
year or two, and my rephews and
nieces came and went, and my doors
flew open to them heartily.
Aunt Hannah" said Bobby one
day. as he rushed in laden with an enor-
nous hamper, you won't mind this
standing here just while I'm having
luncheon. will you? It's only badger
fellow has given me to take home.
It's awfully jolly if you'd like to have it
out"
mo, thanks,'I answered. with my
pocket-handkerchief to my nose, I'VE
can stand the hamper down in the
area 1t isn't exactly sweet, you
know. Bobby"
mot sweet! Why, it's only a badg-
er. and can't stay long. because my
train goes at three. don't you knowP"
But where's TimT' / asked. look
ing beyond him to the empty hansom.
oh! by the by, forgot" he an
swered promptly. 'sTim's siekening
for the measles. they think. so mother
thought he had better not go home;
but as they won't keep him at old
Blazers" he continued, as he flung
himself cheerfully into an armchair
in the sitting-room, s'he is to follow
by the next train. and mother wrote
that she was sure you wouldn't mind
if he came straight to you, but was
to ask you, don't you know?"
Here burst out laughing, and Bob
by looked critically, but approvingly
at me, with both hands on his knees.
Il say, Aunt Hannah" he blurted
out, "rm never sure about you.
Sometimes I think you are seventy,
and sometimes you look seventeen,
that's what you look now. don't be-
lieve you're half as old-maidish as the
girls think you"
THANK you. Bobby" I said. kiss
ing his jolly fat cheek. II don't feel
like seventy yet and what a dear old
boy you will be when I am! But now
about Tim. I was going to have a
party tonight, and measles won't do
we'll with that"
But it had to do, inasmuch as there
was no time to put off any body, and
1.-The party" got as far IS my closed
front door. where they were met by
an affable policeman. on duty for the
purpose at five shillings for the job,
who informed them with bated breath
that s.there was h'infection in the
'ouse," and the grinding wheels were
all that I heard of my guests for a
long while afterward.